The present invention relates to a planting implement, such as a corn planter or the like, having a seed channel opener connected to a depth control wheel and having a depth control device which electronically controls and automatically adjusts the down pressure load to ensure that a seed channel is cut to a proper depth. More particularly, the depth control device of the present invention provides electronic control means in the form of an instrumented arm for measuring the load on the depth control wheel of a planting implement and automatically adjusting the down pressure to ensure that the seed channel opener is at the proper cutting depth.
Devices and techniques to improve farming conditions are nearly as old as farming itself. One condition with which farmers must contend is soil variances in the field to be planted, particularly variances in soil wetness. Before no-till planting came into fashion, a farmer typically would till the whole field. The tilling operation would result in xe2x80x9cuniformxe2x80x9d field conditions (other than specific wet areas). By xe2x80x9cuniformxe2x80x9d field conditions, it is meant that the required down pressure produced by a planting implement to open or cut a furrow and accurately place the seed remained constant or xe2x80x9cuniformxe2x80x9d. More recently, no-till farming was introduced to improve soil moisture management and conservation measures. No-till planting involves planting the seeds into untilled ground. Because the ground is untilled, the field has greater variances in soil conditions. In other words, the untilled field has non-uniform field conditions.
Conventional planting implements currently used in no-till farming, commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cplantersxe2x80x9d utilize a seed channel opener, typically in the form of a disc, that creates a channel or furrow in the soil for seed placement. These conventional planters do not provide adequate means for automatic adjustment to account for variances in soil conditions. Rather, such equipment requires the farmer to make manual adjustment as changes in soil conditions, such as wetness and firmness, are observed during the planting process. This adjustment usually is made by manually changing the down pressure hydraulic controls to multiple planter units, which in turn adjusts the down pressure exerted on the seed channel opener. Because the soil conditions can change often, manual adjustment tends to be an ineffective process, as the farmer may not adjust the down pressure sufficiently or frequently enough.
The consequences of ineffective manual adjustment can be categorized into four types of negative results. First, under moist soil conditions, the seed bed can become compacted by excessive down pressure. Second, under hard, dry and/or compacted soil conditions, insufficient down pressure can result in a seed channel of inadequate depth or a seed channel simply not formed, resulting in seed placement on the soil surface. Third, in soft soil conditions, the seed channel can be cut too deeply by excessive down pressure, resulting in seed placement which is too deep. And four, the constant manual adjustment causes unnecessary equipment wear.
In order to better understand how these negative consequences result from ineffective manual adjustment, consider the farmer who initially sets the down pressure of the planting implement to accommodate the average soil conditions in his field. When hard soil conditions are encountered, the down pressure exerted on the seed opener is not sufficient to create the seed channel. Thus, the seed is placed on top of the ground, thereby lowering crop yields. When wet or soft soil conditions are encountered, the down pressure exerted on the seed opener is excessive. In wetter soil, this excessive pressure will cause compacting on either side of the seed channel and can cause accumulation and pushing of mud. In softer soil, this excessive pressure can cause the seed channel to be cut too deep. These conditions also lower the crop yields. Finally, the excessive down pressure in both wet soil and soft soil conditions is an unnecessary burden to both the tractor pulling the planter and the depth control wheel bearing of the planter.
Attempts have been made in the prior art to improve planting equipment particularly used in no-till farming. U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,721 to Poggemiller et al., issued Dec. 4, 1979, discloses a depth control device which is attached to an agricultural implement to control, within pre-determined limits, the depth of penetration of the ground working implement (GWI). The depth control device includes two separate sensing means, a first ground engaging sensing member and second, a sensor connected to the GWI. Both sensors are mechanically connected to switches which operate to raise and lower the mechanism for the ground working implements. The depth control device operates between a preset distance between the GWI and the frame and a preset depth such that when variance in the ground is encountered, the ground working implement itself is raised or lowered relative to the planter frame. In addition to the use of the separate ground engaging sensing member, an inherent drawback to Poggemiller et al. is the use of preset limits, particularly the preset distance between the GWI and the frame in order to raise or lower the ground working implement.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,035 to Cayton et al., issued Jul. 31, 1973, a precision depth seed planter is disclosed. The planter comprises a series of ground working units mounted on a main frame with each unit having a pair of depth gauge wheels for carrying the unit and for regulating the depth of the seed channel. A ground-engaging sensing unit is mounted on the main frame and comprises two shoes, one which rides on the ground surface and the other which penetrates the surface. Based on the relative distance between the two shoes, the soil hardness is xe2x80x9cdeterminedxe2x80x9d and mechanically adjusts the hydraulic pressure between the ground working units and the main frame in order to maintain a uniform planting depth. A significant disadvantage to the Cayton et al. planter is the complexity of the separate mechanical sensing arrangement. Moreover, it appears that the hydraulic pressure must be set at an initial starting point and then it is expected that a change in the hydraulic pressure based on the relative distance between the two shoes will properly adjust the ground working unit to the correct down force. However, there is no feedback from the ground working unit that it is operating in the proper position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,423 to Poggemiller et al., issued Oct. 12, 1982, provides a hydraulic reset for a planter comprising a resetting ram assembly extending between the ground working implement and the main frame. The resetting ram functions as a reset, such that if the GWI encounters an obstruction, the resetting ram enables the GWI to rotate and travel over the obstruction. The hydraulic reset utilizes two preset hydraulic pressures; the first pressure is the pressure set in the main hydraulic system to engage the GWI""s with the ground and the second pressure is set in the resetting ram, this second pressure being set at a value to allow the GWI to absorb an obstruction. Although this hydraulic reset device does overcome problems associated with obstructions in the field, it does not maintain a proper seed channel under various soil conditions as neither of these two pressures is continuously adjusted to maintain down pressure or penetration by the seed channel opener.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,685 to Gremelspacher et al., issued Nov. 8, 1983, discloses a planting implement having a device which enables the monitoring and remote adjustment of the planting depths of planting units connected to the planter. The device includes an adjustment bar mounted to the main frame of the planter. The position of the adjustment bar determines the vertical position of the depth control wheels relative to the planter frame. By sensing the position of the adjustment bar, the device determines the relative position of the depth control wheel to the frame and the operator can make the adjustment such that the depth control wheel is in contact with the ground. One drawback to the Gremelspacher et al. device is the cumbersome use of a computer and monitoring device. Another disadvantage is that Gremelspacher et al. is measuring the relative position of the depth control wheel relative to the frame and does not ensure that the furrow-opening discs are penetrating the surface to the proper depth. In addition, the device does not provide for automatic adjustment to ensure depth control, but relies on the operator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,165 to Janelle et al., issued Oct. 8, 1996, discloses a hydraulic downpressure system for use on non-tillage seeders which enables a constant downward force to be applied on the ground working implements. The system provides a ground working mode which increases the downward pressure when the GWI""s encounter an obstacle that pushes them upward, thereby allowing the GWI""s to follow the ground contour while maintaining a constant force. However, Janelle et al. does not provide that the channel seeder is penetrating the ground properly. Nor does Janelle et al. appear to automatically adjust the down pressure in response to varying soil conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,070 to Morrison, Jr., issued Apr. 3, 1990, discloses a device for controlling the depth of soil penetration of a ground working implement. The device determines the relative position of the depth control wheel to the frame and adjusts down pressure based on that position. In other words, Morrison is examining the position of the depth control wheel in an attempt to control the depth. Morrison provides that when the depth control wheel position rises, down pressure is exhausted, and when the depth control wheel position lowers, down pressure is increased. However, Morrison""s system is ineffective for controlling the depth of soil penetration because rather than controlling the down pressure to keep the seed opener penetrated to the desired depth, it is only keeping the seed opener in contact with the ground. Essentially, Morrison is relying on the weight of the opener to maintain depth penetration. However, in a hard area of a field Morrison""s discs would raise the depth control wheel and the system would exhaust pressure to the seed opener. In addition, the Morrison system is mechanical and requires manual adjustment based on variances in field conditions.
Despite the attempts of the prior art to develop a planting implement capable of providing a constant depth of soil penetration, a need still exists for a planting implement having a depth control device which can control the depth of a seed channel being cut. Such a planting implement should be capable of automatically adjusting the down pressure load on the seed channel opener when variances in soil conditions are encountered. Such a planting implement also should optimize the planter""s efficiency while encountering varying soil conditions.
After planting several thousand acres with a corn planter and a bean planter, the inventors of the present invention carefully observed what was happening to the mechanization of the planter as it encountered different soil conditions. The inventors discovered that the depth control wheel that is located next to each seed channel opener of each planting implement functions as a very good indicator as to what type of soil is being encountered and whether the seed channel is being cut to a proper depth. When harder soil is encountered, the depth control wheel does not contact the ground until the down pressure to the respective seed channel opener is manually increased. When wetter soil is encountered, the depth control wheel accumulates and pushes mud. When softer soil conditions are encountered, the depth control wheel runs too deep. As a result of these observations, it was discovered that in order to control the depth of the seed channel, the depth control wheel should always be in light contact with the ground. Thus, such a planting implement should include a depth control device which measures the load on the depth control wheel.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a planting implement having a depth control device for measuring the load on the depth control wheel of a planting implement.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a planting implement having a depth control device for measuring the load on the depth control wheel which utilizes a support and adjustment mechanism that is in communication with the depth control wheel and with the seed channel opener.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a planting implement having a depth control device for measuring the load on the depth control wheel which will automatically adjust the down pressure to accommodate varying soil conditions.
It also is an object of the present invention to provide a planting implement having a depth control device for measuring the load on the depth control wheel which will ensure that the seed channel is being cut at a consistent depth when the planting implement encounters varying soil conditions.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a depth control device for measuring the load on the depth control wheel on a variety of planting implements, including corn, soybean, sugar beet, vegetable, potato, or specialty crop planters.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a planting implement having a depth control device which measures the load on the depth control wheel to ensure that the seed channel is being cut a consistent depth when variances in soil conditions are encountered and which can be used in both area-tilling involving the utilization of different tillage practices throughout a field and precision farming involving the optimization of input costs and yields within each square foot of a field.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a planting implement, having a depth control device to measure the load on a depth control wheel, the depth control device is in electronic communication with an electronic control unit which is capable of controlling and automatically adjusting the down pressure exerted on the seed channel opener.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a planting implement having a depth control device in electronic communication with an electronic control unit, wherein the electronic control unit is integrated with the planting implement""s down pressure control system.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a planting implement having a depth control device to measure the load on a depth control wheel which will improve crop yield due to precision seed placement.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a planting implement having a depth control device to measure the load on a depth control wheel which will reduce unnecessary equipment wear.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part of the description and claims which follow, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following specification or may be learned by practice of the invention.
These and other objects of present invention are accomplished by providing a planting implement which is to be pulled by a vehicle, such as a tractor, having a seed channel opener, a depth control wheel joined to the seed channel opener by a support and adjustment mechanism, a depth control device which measures the load on the depth control wheel and an electronic control unit which is in electronic communication with the depth control device and with the down pressure control and electrical systems of the vehicle. In one embodiment, the depth control device can be in the form of an instrumented arm which continually measures the load on the depth control wheel as the depth control wheel is being moved along the ground surface. Readings of specific load measurements are taken at different points along the planting implement and transmitted to the electronic control unit, where the readings are averaged and sampled every few seconds so as not to create an erratic reading. Based on these readings, the electronic control unit determines whether adjustment of the down pressure is required. If adjustment is required, the electronic control unit automatically adjusts the down pressure exerted on the seed channel opener in order to maintain the proper seed channel depth.